My Imaginary Detective
by lightwarai
Summary: [oneshot] What if Nancy Drew was a fictional character, and Frank Hardy was a real person?


Disclaimer: I don't own Frank, Joe, Iola, Callie, Ned, Nancy, Denise, Sherlock Holmes, or the Forensic Casebook book. :) (Threw you off, didn't I?)

My Imaginary Detective  
by lightwarai

Frank Hardy leaned back in the recliner in the family room, sighing happily. It was the first day of summer vacation, and he was glad to finally be finished with another year of high school. It hadn't been tough, but it definitely was no picnic, either. He opened his shopping back and pulled out four books he'd obtained on his way home from school.

"Time to read non-required books for a change," he remarked as he looked at the titles. Two of the books were Sherlock Holmes mysteries, the third was from a series featuring a younger, more up-to-date detective, and the fourth was entitled "Forensic Casebook: The Science of Crime Scene Investigation."

He wasn't ready to start on the forensic book, since school had just let out, and he was headed to his girlfriend Callie's later in the evening for a end-of-school bash, so Sherlock Holmes was out of the question. Once he started a Holmes mystery, it was nearly impossible for him to put it down. That left the third book, "Don't Look Twice."

It had been recommended by Iola Morton, his brother Joe's girlfriend, who adored mystery stories. "It features a female detective, but she sorta reminds me of you and Joe. At least try it, for me?" Frank recalled Iola shoving it into his hands and then running off to find Joe. He didn't even have a chance to protest. So he'd slipped it into the bag as he carried his three new books into the house.

He glanced at the cover dubiously, studying the three characters and the fourth shady character. _Never judge a book by its cover_, he thought to himself.

He opened the book and began reading. By the end of the first chapter, his skepticism had risen dramatically.

_Ned was holding a cheerleader in his arms and hugging her -- tightly. It was the girl who had done the dazzling routine earlier. She was laughing, her arms thrown around his neck. Then she was kissing him -- on the lips. _

_Nancy felt the bottom of her stomach drop. She realized just then she had made a big mistake coming to the game. So that was why Ned had been sounding so distant on the phone, she thought numbly. _

_He had a new girlfriend! _

Frank sighed. "This better not be some romance detective novel where the handsome guy has to rescue the damsel in distress." He flipped through more chapters as the back door opened and Joe and Iola walked in, arm in arm.

"Frank!" Iola squealed and placed herself not-so-delicately on the arm of the recliner. "You're reading it! What do you think? Isn't Ned a total jerk? And Denise? Don't you just want to smack her around?"

Joe raised an eyebrow at his girlfriend and Frank. Frank just shrugged back and held up the book.

Joe nodded, knowingly. "Ah, I see she's gotten you to read that one. I have to admit, that Nancy girl sounded pretty hot and smart. I wouldn't mind being Ned, having two gorgeous girls fight over me."

"Joe!" Iola glared at him. "I thought you said I was the only girl for you!"

Joe stepped over to them and draped his arm around her shoulders, planting a kiss on her dark hair. "You know I'm just teasing. After all, Nancy Drew is just a fictional character, right, Frank?"

Frank winked. "You know, it would be kinda cool to have a redheaded girlfriend who was also a detective. Might be fun to shake things up a bit and have someone else around besides Joe."

Iola turned and pointed a slender finger at him. "Watch it, Hardy, or you may find yourself without a girlfriend shortly."

Frank lifted one eyebrow. "Oh, really? Are you going to tell Callie that I'm in love with a redhead who just happens to be a gorgeous, _fictional_, detective? I seem to recall a certain girl named _Iola_ shoving this book at me. She better watch it or she might find herself without a best friend shortly," he retorted playfully.

Iola clamped her mouth shut, but when she saw the teasing look in Frank's eyes, she couldn't help but grin. "Alright, point taken. Just please, give it an honest shot. I know you're not into all that mushy stuff like Joe is-"

"Hey!"

"-but it's still a good mystery; kept me guessing for a while." She stood up and grabbed Joe's hand. "We're gonna head over to Callie's and help her decorate. See you later!" She headed towards the door with Joe in tow.

"What do you mean, we? I didn't volunteer to help!" Joe protested.

Frank laughed as he heard their voices fading as the door shut. He glanced back at the book and continued reading from the beginning of the second chapter. The more he read, the more irritated he became with the male character of Ned Nickerson. "Can't Nancy see how much of a jerk this guy is? I definitely understand what Iola means, now."

Then he laughed and rolled his eyes at himself. "What am I talking about? It's a stupid book." He stood up and stretched, throwing the book on the couch. It bounced off and landed on the floor, front cover down. But even as he headed towards the kitchen for a coke, he found his eyes wandering back towards the book.

He shook his head. "I'll read it later," he promised himself. "After all, Iola won't leave me alone until I do," he reasoned. "Right, gotta keep her happy, I guess."

He poured himself a drink and glanced around the silent house. _With no studying to do or cases to solve, it sure is boring_, he thought. He grinned and shrugged. "So I'll continue reading, if nothing else, just for the mystery, right?"

_NDHB NDHB NDHB NDHB_

Three days later, Frank found himself calling Iola's cell phone.

"Iola speaking."

Frank hesitated for a second. "Um, hey, Iola. This is Frank."

"Hey, Frank! What's up?" she asked, sounding a bit surprised to hear from the elder Hardy brother.

He shifted his weight to the other foot uncomfortably. "I was wondering if you had any more of those Nancy Drew books…" he trailed off, feeling his face turn red.

"YES!" she practically shouted over the phone. "I do! I have this really great one, where in the end, Nancy and Ned break up, and-"

"Iola?"

There was a pause. "Yeah?"

"Could you please not spoil it for me?"

**This idea came to me while I was thinking about Nancy Drew File #45 Out of Bounds, when Nancy mentions having worked with the Hardys on a case involving steroids, and another book where she mentions having read a Hardy Boys book. Just a fun little ditty.**

**As always, comments and suggestions and reviews and money are always welcome:)**


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